Definition of august
: marked by majestic dignity or grandeur <her august lineage> <an august mansion>
augustly
adverbExamples of august in a sentence
We visited their august mansion and expansive grounds.
The family claims an august lineage.
Did You Know?
August comes from the Latin word augustus, meaning "consecrated" or "venerable," which in turn is related to the Latin augur, meaning "consecrated by augury or "auspicious." In 8 B.C. the Roman Senate honored Augustus Caesar, the first Roman emperor, by changing the name of their month "Sextilis" to "Augustus." Middle English speakers inherited the name of the month of August, but it wasn't until the mid-1600s that "august" came to be used generically in English, more or less as "augustus" was in Latin, to refer to someone with imperial qualities.
Origin and Etymology of august
Latin augustus; akin to Latin augur
First Known Use: 1581
August
playDefinition of August
: the eighth month of the Gregorian calendar
Examples of august in a sentence
We are taking our vacation in August.
The last two Augusts have been very dry.
Origin and Etymology of august
Middle English, from Old English, from Latin Augustus, from Augustus Caesar
First Known Use: before 12th century
Other Calendar Terms
AUGUST Defined for English Language Learners
august
playDefinition of august for English Language Learners
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: having a formal and impressive quality
August
playDefinition of August for English Language Learners
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: the eighth month of the year
AUGUST Defined for Kids
August
playDefinition of August for Students
: the eighth month of the year
History for august
The first Roman calendar began the year with March. The sixth month was the one we now know as August. The first Latin name given to this month was Sextilis, derived from sextus, “sixth.” The Romans renamed the month after the first Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus, who first took power on August 19, 43 B.C. Hence the English word August came from the emperor's Latin name, which means literally “worthy of respect.”
Learn More about august
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See words that rhyme with august Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for august Spanish Central: Translation of august Nglish: Translation of august for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of august for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about august
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